If you open the hood of a late-model Ford Super Duty truck you’re likely to find a Godzilla engine. This 7.3-liter V8 gas powerplant was introduced for the 2020 model year and has since been joined by the Megazilla crate engine of the same displacement. The Godzilla V8 uses a forged steel crankshaft and cast iron block for durability’s sake, but this beast is not without its problems. Some owners have complained about insufficient oil pressure at idle. The Godzilla engine employs a  variable displacement oil pump that runs at low pressure during  low-demand operation, but this can leave the engine starved for oil while idling for extended periods.

Numerous Ford truck owners have gone online to complain about this issue and the resulting damage to their engines, which can be catastrophic. In a post on the r/justrolledintotheshop subreddit, u/mechanicrob wrote, ” When they idle a lot the oil pressure drops and the camshafts eat into the lifers [lifters]. If that’s not bad enough somehow when that happens it throws the metal onto the cylinder wall and you end up needing a whole block. In a subsequent comment he added, “I’ve only seen the failure in buses and box trucks that idle for extended periods, not any pick ups. Yet.” u/QuietEstimate7409 commented, “These started being problematic just before I left Ford last August. We had 3 in the shop at once.”

Ford addressed the low idle oil pressure issue with in 2024 with a software update for some 2020-2025 models. This update increased the idle oil pressure produced by the Godzilla engine’s variable displacement oil pump  to help reduce the risk of wear and tear on the motor. Dealerships could apply the update at no cost to owners regardless of vehicle mileage.

According to a Ford service bulletin published with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Godzilla engine’s low oil pressure at idle can cause excessive wear to the engine’s camshaft lobes. Improper lubrication could also damage valvetrain components; these issues could combine to cause engine noise, misfiring, and shedding of metal particles inside the engine. But low oil pressure isn’t the only issue with the Godzilla, an engine that’s different from most other modern V8s. Some owners have reported unexpected stalling and excessive oil consumption along with  electrical problems. There have also been reports of transmission troubles, fuel odors inside the truck’s cab, and overall drivability problems. These issues have lead some owners to repeatedly take their trucks in for service, often without a satisfactory resolution to their problems.

If you have one of the Ford vehicles with the Godzilla engine, you may be experiencing one or more of these frustrating issues. While Ford has not acknowledged them all with fixes similar to the low oil pressure software update, a 2020 service bulletin addressed misfiring on F-53 motorhomes with the Godzilla V8.  Ford concluded that excessive heat from the engine was damaging spark plug wires, and recommended trimming of the passenger side heat baffle and replacement of all eight plug wires.